2 – WIOA is Coming

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WHAT IS COMING SOON? – WIOA Key Dates

June 15, 2015: Public comments on draft regulations due – They especially need  input from Adult Education providers pertaining to:

• Measurable skills gains toward a credential or employment
• Employer engagement

January 22, 2016: Final regulations published

March 3, 2016: Unified state plans due

June 30, 2016: Employer engagement measure due

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE NATIONAL SKILLS COALITION’S WIOA FOR ADULT ED FACT SHEET

Here are some of the highlights:

  1. The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (#WIOA) goes into effect on July 1, 2015 — The Goal: To ensure public workforce systems and adult education systems work together.
  2. Adult educators should be active participants in the development of a WIOA state plan to help define the role of adult education in achieving the plan’s priorities.
  3. Local workforce development boards are now responsible for reviewing adult education’s WIOA (formerly WIA) funding proposals to ensure alignment with local plans.
  4. ONE-STOP CENTERS (American Job Centers) must provide access to physical services to adult learners (even those with low literacy). They must work with adult educators to establish effective referral, co-enrollment, and trackable handoff processes.
  5. Career pathway programs must align and integrate education (including Adult Basic Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages), job training, counseling and support services to create accelerated pathways to HSD, GED, Community College, Vocational training and/or to work.
  6. Adult educators should be closely involved in the development of career pathways by forming strong partnerships with workforce systems.
  7. The Local workforce boards must engage employers and become keenly aware of how to meet their talent needs.
  8. Adult educators should determine how their specific education and training expertise meets employers stated needs. All training programs must be developed and designed based on current labor market data.

Are you interested in joining a roundtable discussion or Google Hangout to discuss WIOA Title II?  Use the form below to send me message or connect with me on LinkedIn (include your interest in WIOA in your invite).

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